Track, temps alter storm outlook, but officials urge vigilance

Tuesday

Mar 14, 2017 at 9:57 AMMar 14, 2017 at 10:05 AM

By Michael P. Norton/STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

Warmer temperatures along the coast and a changing storm track have lowered the projected snow totals in eastern Massachusetts, but Gov. Charlie Baker early Tuesday morning warned that high winds and periods of heavy snowfall will create "extremely difficult" driving conditions and advised drivers to stay off the roads if they can.

"The roads for the most part have people on them, but nothing like a typical commute," Baker said.

While he has not instituted a travel ban, Baker said, "If people can stay off the roads for the rest of the day, and give the crews the space and the time and the ability to clean up after all of this, that would be terrific."

New York, Connecticut and western Massachusetts are experiencing significant snowfall and the snow is moving east, Baker said at an 8 a.m. briefing with transportation and public safety officials in Framingham.

The latest estimates Baker said, call for 8 to 12 inches of snow in Boston and 10 to 24 inches elsewhere in the state.

Meteorologists are predicting six inches or less of snow in parts of the South Shore, southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape and the islands.

Winds are expected to reach 40 to 50 miles per hour and 50 to 70 miles per hour along the coast, which may lead to power outages when combined with the effect of heavy snow, the governor said.

Non-emergency state workers were not required to report to work Tuesday and state offices are closed.

"We full expect everybody will be back at work on full strength tomorrow," Baker said.

Tinlin advised people seeing bare roads as they wake up to know that the storm is coming.

"It feels a little bit like you invited all your friends over for a party, and then you're kind of hanging around and saying, 'Where are they?'" Tinlin said. "Well, rest assured your friends are coming. We've had multiple calls with National Weather Service, and the most recent one at 6 a.m. this morning and when this storm picks up, which we're starting to see in Worcester now and will be heading this way, we're still talking snow volumes anywhere from two to four inches an hour.

"So when we compare this to the winter of 2015 for example, you'd see a lot of snow over a prolonged period of time. This is going to dump a whole bunch of snow in a very short period of time. So when those snow volumes pick up, roads will become hazardous for travel. So if you're looking out your window now and saying 'Gee, maybe I can run into the office, maybe I can run those last-minute errands, I didn't get the chance to pick up enough groceries last night' - probably not a wise decision because once you get to where you need to be the conditions can change, change fast, and change drastically and you may end up being stuck where you are."